A taxing issue.Byline: Bill Dwyer For The Register-Guard I have had the privilege and the honor As a verb, to accept a bill of exchange, or to pay a note, check, or accepted bill, at maturity. To pay or to accept and pay, or, where a credit so engages, to purchase or discount a draft complying with the terms of the draft. to serve my neighbors as an elected official for many years. In all those years, I've never seen a bigger fix than Lane County is in today. Hands down, this is the toughest problem I've ever faced. We have less than three months to adopt a balanced budget Balanced budget A budget in which the income equals expenditure. See: budget. balanced budget A budget in which the expenditures incurred during a given period are matched by revenues. , and with every passing day we get closer to laying off employees and being forced to take a wrecking ball to operations that serve vital public health and public safety needs. Lane County would avert immediate drastic cuts to health and safety services if the federal government approves legislation pushed by the Oregon congressional delegation - notably an amendment proposed by Sen. Ron Wyden Ronald Lee Wyden (born May 3, 1949) is Oregon's senior United States Senator. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Early career and personal life Wyden was born in Wichita, Kansas to Edith Rosenow and Peter H. and co-sponsored by Sen. Gordon Smith
Gordon Harold Smith (born May 25, 1952) is Oregon's junior United States Senator, currently serving his second term. He is a member of the Republican Party. that would provide full federal county payments funding for one year, with steadily declining funding through 2012. The federal government's commitment to county payments funding is drawing thin. The president has vowed to veto veto [Lat.,=I forbid], power of one functionary (e.g., the president) of a government, or of one member of a group or coalition, to block the operation of laws or agreements passed or entered into by the other functionaries or members. In the U.S. the appropriations bill because of language pertaining per·tain intr.v. per·tained, per·tain·ing, per·tains 1. To have reference; relate: evidence that pertains to the accident. 2. to withdrawal of U.S. troops in Iraq. But time is running out. We have to prepare the county budget now, and even if the feds finally pass a bill that gives us some federal money for one year, it may come too late. We can't count money we don't have. And we just plain don't have the $20 million in federal county payments that is needed to pay for some essential services supported by the county's general fund. It's time It's Time was a successful political campaign run by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Gough Whitlam at the 1972 election in Australia. Campaigning on the perceived need for change after 23 years of conservative (Liberal Party of Australia) government, Labor put forward a to take control of our own future and solve this puzzle “Puzzle solving” redirects here. For the concept in Thomas Kuhn's philosophy of science, see normal science. A puzzle is a problem or enigma that challenges ingenuity. ourselves. Even if we get a one-year extension of the federal money, and at the moment that doesn't look very likely, we will still need to cut about $3 million in services this year. That's because of a structural deficit in the budget that has already forced us to make service cuts in 12 out of the last 15 years. The county's annual budget shortfalls won't go away even if we get some federal money. Admittedly, we'll be able to apply a tourniquet tourniquet (t  r`nĭkĕt, –kā, tûr`–), compression device used to cut off the flow of blood to a part of the body, most often an arm or leg. to prevent deep and drastic cuts. But in the long term,
we've got to find a solution to this puzzle ourselves. After all,
we're all in this together We're All In This Together can refer to:
My colleagues and I have put a proposal on the table for Lane County citizens to vote on. It is an income tax that will bring in enough money to pay for public health, safety, veterans' and extension services, along with other essential general fund services. Without approval of the income tax, providing many of these services will simply no longer be possible when the federal money is gone. Last November's tax measure was an opportunity to add additional money to the public safety system in an attempt to fix it. Now that we've lost the long-term federal money, this new version of the income tax will only save existing services. We are asking only to maintain what we currently have - not add anything new. While the community discourse has focused on activists and tax resisters, the income tax is not about their issues. This measure is about taking control of our own future and making sure we have services to the disabled, the elderly, at-risk youth, mentally ill youth and adults, our veterans, and even our pets. It is about preserving the capacity to prosecute To follow through; to commence and continue an action or judicial proceeding to its ultimate conclusion. To proceed against a defendant by charging that person with a crime and bringing him or her to trial. crimes, having jail beds to hold offenders accountable, and providing treatment and prevention to make sure people don't keep re-entering the criminal justice system. This is about our health and well-being, and it's about effective, sustainable, stable operations. This is a simple question about whether we want to keep these essential county services or take a step backward in time to become the Wild West. This is about community. It's about the kind of community we all value, and wish to leave to our kids and grandkids. It's about realizing that although no one wants to pay taxes, we're all in this together. To say Lane County government is in financial trouble is a giant understatement. The reality is that Lane County's funding has been unstable unstable, adj 1. not firm or fixed in one place; likely to move. 2. capable of undergoing spontaneous change. A nuclide in an unstable state is called radioactive. An atom in an unstable state is called excited. and unsustainable for years. We have acted to turn that around, and we ask everyone to become part of the solution and to support this measure to solve our own problems. Remember, this is your county. These are your friends and neighbors who rely on these services. These services are not optional for those who have nowhere else to turn. Please don't let them down. Your vote can solve this puzzle. We ask you to remember that we're all in this together. Bill Dwyer represents the Springfield district on the Lane County Board of Commissioners. |
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